Pauper to Princess
by hardyanna
Summary: Hitomi's life is turned upside down when a huge secret is revealed. How will she handle being the Otoori princess when she had always been the pauper?
1. Chapter 1

It all started by accident. Until now, Hitomi Fujioka had no clue who her father was, nor did she really even care. But one accident had led her in search of the man who had been her sperm doner; A contact book and a letter led her to reach out to the first person on the list: Tomaki Suoh.

Hitomi drove faster than she had anticipated and arrived at the first address which took her breath away. The Suoh estate was like a mansion; There were multiple stories and elegant windows and beautiful landscaping...Hitomi almost forgot to stop the car before it crashed into the large iron gates because she was entirely awestruck. After collecting herself, Hitomi rolled down her window, ignoring the small spray of drizzling rain that flew onto her face. "Hello, how may I help you?", a female voice from the intercom mounted next to the gate said. Hitomi glanced one last time at the address on her phone and the adress mantled above the voice box, "I'm here to see Tomaki Suoh." The woman's voice responded, asking if she had an appointment with the young master. "No, but it's rather urgent," Hitomi stated, butterflied beginning to form in her stomach. Perhaps she picked the wrong address; what if this was a waste of time. "Unfortunatly, Master Suoh is entertaining guests-" the woman began, but was interuppted by Hitomi's urgent voice, "Please! This is an important matter." There was a long pause before the woman spoke again. Hitomi wondered vaugly if they would run her off the property and tell her to come back when she had made an appointment. Before she could properly talk herself out of going home and ignoring the information she had found, the woman began speaking, "May I ask your name?". "Haruhi Fujioka, ma'am." Hitomi automatically said, sure that the woman would not let her in if she told the truth. A final pause ensued before the gate began opening, allowing Hitomi to drive through into a large, rounded driveway.

She parked at the covered front steps of the estate, and was instantly greeted by a butler who had opened the car door for her, "Hello, miss.". Hitomi smiled brightly at the man, "Hello. I'm here to see Mr. Suoh." The man held out his gloved hand and helped her from the car, "Why of course, Miss Fujioka. He is waiting for you in the study. Please, follow me." A few moments of silence ensued between the two, but was broken by each worker of the masion as they passed by. In the forye alone, four maids stopped and polietly greeted Hitomi, sending a shower of, "Hello, Miss Fujioka"'s. The butler knocked on Suoh's study door twice, waited for a response to enter, then opened the large oak double doors, "Miss Fujioka is here to see you, sir." Almost immdiatly, a tall, blonde, attractive man practically pranced from his desk, "HARUHI!". Before Hitomi knew what to do, Suoh had grasped her in an unbreakable hug, "Haruhi, why havn't you stopped by? I've missed you! How have you been? How has work gone? Oh, Haruhi, I'm so glad to see-" for the first time since she entered the room, Tomaki looked at the girl, "you?". The man froze in confusion; this woman before him had the same hair color as Haruhi, the same large brown doe eyes as Haruhi, was the same height as Haruhi, yet was not...Haruhi? While the young master was busy contemplating the situation, Hitomi was struggling to breath in his tight grip. "Hey, boss," an unfarmiliar voice said, "get off Haruhi before she dies of strangulation-" Just as a red-haired man entered Hitomi's veiw, he stopped and stared at her. He, too, contemplated the situation, but in a much different manner than his friend; He knew exactly who this girl was, but the question was WHY she was here...

"Boss, Hikaru, what's the big fuss?" Another voice came from behind Hitomi, who was now happily breathing again. Suoh had released her from his death grip only to dramatically point a finger at the girl, "You, madame, are an imposter!" Hitomi glanced from boy to boy to boy, as she relized she was surrounded by a pair of twins and Thomaki Souh, "Um...Sir, I'm looking for Thomaki Suoh." The first red-haired man, whose name was apparently Hikaru, crossed his arms and neared Hitomi, attempting to hide the fact that he was awestruck by the girl. Her school pictures that Haruhi sent every year did not do her justice, "Yes, and who are you?" He was curious at what game she was playing. Hitomi tucked a long strand of chestnut brown hair behind her ear, "I'm sorry for the intrusion, but Miss Fujioka sent me." Thomaki watched Hitomi carefully, not peicing A and B together, "And who might you be, miss?" Hitomi smiled and attempted to steal the identety of her best friend, "Oh, I'm Narabu Tanaka, Miss Fujioka's new assistant. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Suoh." Thomaki's heart ached when Hitomi smiled, reminding him so much of Haruhi's kind smile. Hikaru circled around the girl, "Oh? And what has she sent you here for? She rarely comes herself, let alone sends her assistant..." Hikaru made eye contact with Karou, who seemed to have the same idea as his brother, "Yes, please do tell." Hitomi swallowed hard. These two would be a bit of trouble. To stall, Hitomi figured a few questions wouldn't hurt, "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your names?" Hikaru and Karou bowed at the same time, "Hikaru and Karou Hitachin, at your service." "Hikaru and Karou?" Hitomi thought, pulling out her phone and quickly going to her pictures, "Hey, you're on my list, too!" The twins grinned micheviously and slid to either side of her, trying to get a good look at what she was searching for, "What list, Miss Tanaka?" Hitomi jumped and shut off her phone, "Oh, Miss Fujioka sent me regarding her daughter." She silently prayed that any of the men had useful information on the whereabouts of her biological father.

Thomaki's eyebrow shot up at the mention of Haruhi's daughter. The last time they had talked about her was when Haruhi called at Christmas time and updated him on how the young teen was doing. Apparently she was one of the top Lobelia actresses, being what they called a 'triple-threat' with the ability to act, sing, and dance. Thomaki let his defensive guard down and motioned for Hitomi to sit in a chair, "Please tell me that nothing is wrong with her." Hitomi smiled and sat in a large, plush chair directly across from Thomaki, "No, she's doing just fine. Miss Fujioka has sent me to ask a few questions about Hitomi's biological father." There was an awkward pause as she tried to come up with a reason, "B-because of medical history, you know? Hitomi has an important docotor's appointment coming up soon and would like any nessesary information to tell the doctor." Thomaki smiled brightly and exclaimed, "Oh, that makes perfect sense!" The twins mummbled simutaniously, "No it doesn't," to themselves, but allowed the conversation to continue in the hopes that their dear friend would realize he was seaking to Hitomi Fujioka. Thomaki smiled brightly and waved his hands flamboiantly, "What is it you need to know?". Hitomi smiled back, trying to find similarities between the three men in herself; perhaps she had his nose or his cheekbones or his lips. "Um, well, I suppose first would be his name, you know, for the file. Even if Hitomi doesn't know, Haruhi would like his name." Thomaki looked at Hitomi curiously, "But...Haruhi should already have that-" "Oh, i know. It's just for the files." Hitome smiled the sweetest smile she could muster, "Now, if I could have his name please." Hikaru and Karou shared a concerned look before moving from their place pearched on either side of the doorway towards Thomaki, "Hey, boss..." Thomaki ignored them and continued, "Well, if Haruhi wants it," "Boss." "His name is-" In perfect unison, the twins placed their hands over Thomaki's mouth, "Really, boss." Hikaru said, "You are the densest person we know." Thomaki stared at them with hurt, puppy-dog eyes while Hitomi swallowed her nurvousness. Muffled words echoed from between the twins' fingers. Slowly, the two of them moved their hands away so Thomaki could speak, "What are you talking about?" Karou crossed his slender arms, "That's not Haruhi's assistant." Thomaki almost jumped out of his skin, "She's not!?" The twins practically slapped themselves in the face, "Seriously, boss! That's Hitomi Fujioka!" Hitomi blushed deeply, "She's obviously trying to find out who her father is, and you blabbing about him is going to break the contract." Hitomi looked at Karou curiously, "Contract? What contract?" The twins shrugged, "I don't know." Hitomi glared at the pair, "Look, all I want to do is find out who my father is, but I'm not planning on interfereing with his life. I just want to know that he's somewhere out there..." Thomaki's eyes welled with tears, "Oh, Hitomi!" he lunged foreward and grasped her in a rib-crushing hug, "You just want to find the missing peice of you!" As Thomaki dramatically 'comforted' the teen, she struggled against his surprising strenth. Hitomi was pulled free by the twins; Hikaru held onto Thomaki while Karou ushered Hitomi towards the study door, "Look," He whispered, "We would tell you if we could, honestly we would. However, we must urge you to stop your search before it becomes a legal battle. Go home. Forget all of this, and we will too. Just stop looking."

Hitomi left the estate in a daze. Could her father honestly be so secretive? It made no sense how her knowledge of him could possibly be a legality issue. Her car was pulled around by the chauffer, and she quickly fled the Suoh estate. While the visit did nothing more than give her even more unanswered questions, she decided that perhaps they were right; looking would be futile. The other side of her urged Hitomi to continue her search; that perhaps the next address would lead to a clue of her mysterious father.

She arrived home to find her mother at the computer, typing up paperwork for her case of a man molesting his seven year-old neice. While the man pled not guilty, there was irrefutible evidence against the man and he was most likely going to be locked away for a long time. That is, if Haruhi did her job well. The mother-daughter duo hoped the jury would side with Haruhi and send the man away for life. Haruhi heard the door open and close before she stopped typing, "You're out late. How was rehearsal?" Hitomi smiled back, twisting her wet jacket in her hands, "Oh, you know, pretty normal." Haruhi shrugged happily and continued focusing on her work. The teen continued twisting her jacket until it was a ball of wet fabric, trying to gain the courage to ask her mother a few questions. Finally, Haruhi stopped and looked back at Hitomi, a mother's intuition telling her to do so, "What is it, Hitomi? Did something happen at school?" Hitomi sighed and shook her head, "No, school is fine." Both parties were silent for a moment before Hitomi spoke again, "Can you promise me you won't get mad?" Haruhi scrunched her eyebrows, unsure of why her daughter would think she'd be mad, "Okay? I promise." "Like really REALLY promise?" Haruhi nodded. Hitomi sat in a nearby chair before beginning, "Okay. So I found something while I was in your room today-" "You were in my room?" Hitomi nodded, "But not to snoop or anything. I wanted to wear the jeans you borrowed last week and I went in there to find them." As if to make a point, Hitomi motioned to the jeans in question, "But when I did, I bumped your address book off of the night stand..." Haruhi sighed deeply, knowing exactly what was going on, "And you found my letter?" Hitomi nodded slowly, "Yes. Addressed to my father." "Hitomi, please-" "Mom, let me finish." "But-" Hitomi's eyes began to water, "Please. There's more to the story that you might want to know." Haruhi sat back in her chair and crossed her arms, regretting ever writing the damn letter. If she wanted to get in contact with him, she could have just called and Hitomi would have never found out that she and her father were still on speaking terms, "Okay. Please, go ahead." Hitomi took a deep breath for contiuing, "So I looked at the addresses listed on the page where you stuck the letter...There were seven names, and I know one of them has to be my father." Haruhi was about to interject when Hitomi stood up and began pacing, "I went to the nearest address, Thomaki Suoh's address, and met with him. Hikaru and Karou Hitachin were there, too..." Haruhiclenched her teeth, trying to not become angry; to think logically about the situation. Obviously they didn't tell her who he was or she would have already said so. "I pretended to be your assistant and tried to get information out of them, but the Hitachin twins somehow knew who I was and ratted me out. Then I left..." Feeling that Hitomi's story was not quite over, Haruhi waited. It took a few seconds before Hitomi finally asked the question that was on her mind, "Why is me knowing who my father is a legal matter?" Haruhi watched Hitomi, trying to find the right words to say, "Hitomi, I am very dissapointed that you would go behind my back and lie to my friends. I understand why you did what you did, but believe me when I say that your life is better without your father in your life. There would be...reprocussions that neither of us wanted for you." "What if it's what I want, mom?" Hitomi asked, trying to understand what could be so important, "I want to know who he is. I want to know what he does and what his favorite foods are. I want to know his personality and be a part of his life. Good, bad and ugly. I just don't get why his identity is such a huge secret"" By this point, Hitomi was practically yelling, quite an unusual desplay of emotions from the young woman. Haruhi held back tears, realizing this was her worst nightmare happening. Haruhi clenched her teeth as Hitomi continued to angrily shout, "Why can't I know?! Why is it so goddamn important for me to be kept in the dark?!" "Because he'll take you away." Haruhi's voice came at barely wa whisper, but Hitomi heard it, "He'll be forced to take you into his care and we may never be able to see eachother again." Hitomi stood, stunned, "But...why?" Haruhi wiped a tear from her cheek, "Because your biological is a powerful man whose family has no heir to their company for the next generation. You are the only one. Because of this, your father and I agreed to sighn paperwork that nobody other than those immediatly involved would know, including our families. Including you. Telling you or you descovering who he is breaks the contract we made, and therefore would force him to take you as the heir to their family. Don't missunderstand his intentions, though. He wanted you very much, but our life situations did not allow for him to be in your life and keep it from the public. We didn't want that burden for you; all the forced pressure. It almost broke him, and we couldn't watch the same happen to you." Haruhi choked the last part out before forming into a ball of sobs. "Mom..." Hitomi said softly, "It's going to be okay. I love you. Im sor ry." She whispered soft, meaningful things into her mother's ear as she sobbed into her sholdure, "It's going to be okay."

That night, Hitomi began researching the seven men in her mother's address book. She started with the three she had already met; Thomaki Suoh was the heir to a world-wide coorperation that focused on technology. He graduated from Ouran Academy, the same place her mother had. In her year, too! Hitomi took it as a coincidence as she kept reading. Mr. Suoh was a beloved bachelor from France, a man of every woman's dream; He had the smile and the charm, the body, money, and a kind heart. There was only one complaint: He was bipolar as the day is long. Many witness accounts claimed he could change emotions in a matter of seconds. Others argued it was within milliseconds. Either way, Hitomi knew exactly what they meant; she had seen it with her own eyes. By the end of his biography, Hitomi was convinced that he fit the criteria to be a candidate for her father. Second were the Hitachin twins; Karou and Hikaru were born and raised in Japan. They were known as tricksters in their personal lives, but proffessionally, they owned multiple successful clothing lines. They were also the heir to quite a large jewelry company as well. Hitomi kept them on the list for her possible father. She was just about to research Kyoya Ootori when she noticed something strange; The twins had gone to Ouran with her mother. One of the biographical pictures on the side toolbar was a high-school photo taken of eight people called the 'Ouran High School Host Club', showcasing younger versions of Thomaki, Karou, and Hikaru as well as...her mother? Given, she had extreamly short hair at the time, but it was quite obvious to Hitomi that the brown eyes and smile and figure could be none other than her mom. "Did they all go to Ouran?", Hitomi whispered to herself, scanning over the last four biographys, looking for the keyword 'Ouran Academy'. Sure enough, a similar picture popped up on each biography and every picture included her mother. She did the math in her head, and concluded that she must have been concieved around the time these pictures were taken, if not a year or two later. So...that's how her mother knew them? No wonder Suoh's estate was so extravigant! Lettin out a long yawn, Hitomi shut her laptop down, trying to peice together the mystery of her conception.

The next morning, Hitomi left for school early, telling her mother that she needed to practice a scene with one of her friends. This, of course, was a lie. Going to school was a lie as well. Instead, Hitomi decided to go to the estate of the Hitachin twins. Perhaps it was a foolish mistake, and perhaps Hitomi's curiosity drove the decision. Nonetheless, the decision was made; by the end of the day, she would know who her father was

As she rode up to the gate, a similar sense of awe overtook her. These men must be insanely rich...Entering into the Hitachin estate was less nerve-racking and easier to do than the Suoh. The man behind the voice box let her in quite suddenly after stating her name; her real name. Driving up to the front steps was intimidating. What would she say? How could she get him to reveal the true identity of her biological father. As she pondered questions and thoughts of driving back to school and leaving the subject alone, Hitomi was led by a maid to a formal living room where one of the twins sat peacefully, waiting for the young girl's arrival. "Thank you, Mira, that will be all," The twin said to the maid, who curtsied quickly and left. "Hello, Miss Fujioka. Please, sit" he said, motioning to the sofa across from where he sat. Hitomi nodded, "Thank you...um..." "I'm Hikaru" he said, smiling, "Don't worry, you didn't offend me. There's only one person who can distiguish my brother and I appart." Hitomi sat as polietly as she could. This man was allowing her into his home, knowing what she was here for, but she didn't want to offend him like she assumed she had the night prior. "Tea?" Hikaru asked, pouring himself a cup. Hitomi cleared her dry throat, "Yes, please." He poured her a cup and handed the tea to her, "So, Miss Fujioka, to what do I have the pleasure of speaking with you about?" Hitomi took a sip of the tea; certainly it was a special blend, for she had never tasted anything so delicious before in her life! it took her a moment to comprehend him through the haze of delicious extacy, "Oh, um, Mr. Hitachin-" He inturrupted her with a large, kind smile, "Please, call me Hikaru." Hitomi nodded, "Um, Hikaru, I first would like to appologize for last night. It was quite rude of me to be so decietful." Hikaru's smile grew even wider as he gave a short laugh, "That was not as decietful as the Boss is accustomed to. Between my brother and I, almost nothing should come as a shock. We play jokes on him all of the time; jokes more cruel and nasty than you trying to find your father. Don't worry, it's quite alright." Hitomi breathed a small sigh of relief, "Oh, that's good." A moment passed before she spoke again, "You knew my mother in high school, didn't you?" He smiled, "Yes. I knew her quite well, and if I recal, we made her four years at Ouran quite an adventure. You see, on Haruhi's first day at Ouran Academy, she wandered into the Host Club's room and accidentally knocked a vase to the floor, shattering it compleatly. Of course, we couldn't just let her go without paying for such an expensive peice, and so she spent the next four years paying her debt by being a Host Club Member." Hikaru's eyes shone as he remembered tha first day, "It was truly by the grace of god that I got to know your mohter." Hitomi sipped the tea and waited for Hikaru, "Okay, don't tell her I told you this, but she changed the life of Karou and I. We always had resentment towards the world for not distinguishing one from the other. When girls like Karou they also liked me, but not because of our personalities; It was because of our looks. Haruhi didn't care what we looked like, and within the first month of being a Host, she had melted the ice around our hearts and allowed us to be individuals rather than one entity." Hitomi raised an eyebrow, "Really? She had such an impact on you? What about the others?" "Well," Hikaru began, pondering different scenarios, "The boss was always the prince of the club, and every girl adored him, worshipped him even. His ego was insanely large, and it still is, but Haruhi taught Thomaki to accept love rather than accept infatuation from the other girls who only came to be wooed by him." "Love? Did he love my mother?" Hitomi asked, urging Hikaru to say more. Understanding what Hitomi meant, Hikaru shook his head, "Not in the way you are asking. He loved your mother more like how a father loves his daughter-" Hikaru bit his tounge, realizing that the analogy was terrible when speaking to Hitomi, "O-or a mother's love for her daughter. The love that makes you want to protect those around you." Hitomi nodded, ignoring the terrible fahter/daughter analogy. Hikaru sipped his tea, "Both Honey and Mori adored Haruhi as well, but she was never as close to them as the other Host members. They were her protectors, but otherwise were just friends. Their relationship didn't grown like ours did." Hitomi nodded and waited for the last name. Hikaru continued to sip his tea, trying to ignore the girl's preying eyes. When Hikaru didn't speak, Hitomi set down her cup, "And what of Kyoya Ootori?" Hikaru drank what was left of his tea as slowly as possible before answering, "Haruhi and Kyoya had an interesting relationship. Honestly, in the beginning, we all thought he hated her. Every time something happened, he woud increase your mother's debt. A teacup broke? Raised by two-hundred yen. A tear in her uniform? Another one-fifty. He ignored her otherwise." Hitomi watched the older man fiddle with his teacup, "But, you said 'in the beginning', which means their relationship changed over time." Hitomi pressed, watchng Hikaru chew on the side of his lip. He hesitated before furthering the explaination, "Yes, but I'm affraid we'll have to leave the storytelling there." "Wait!" Hitomi urged as Hikaru began to stand, "When you say that they developed more of a relationship, you mean-" "I can't tell you that, Hitomi." He responded, moving away from the tea table and standing at the door, "Thank you for accompanying me for tea, but I am quite busy." Hitomi nodded, understanding the hidden meaning behind finding out for herself, "Thank you for the tea and your time, Hikaru. I hope we can meet again in less awkward situations." Hikaru smiled and walked Hitomi through the forye, "I hope so as well. It's fun to talk to someone who isn't so formal and anti-personal." As they neared the door, Hikaru stopped , "You know who he is, Hitomi. I wish I could tell you outright, but you understand the consiquences." Hitomi thought for a moment, scared to say it, "Kyoya Ootori." It came out as a statement, not a question, and Hikaru sighed, closing his eyes, "I can not confirm that." Hitomi chewed her lip and moved towards the door. She was pulled back by Hikaru, "But I can not deny it either. Just...be careful, okay? This is a messy battle you are entering." Hitomi smiled and nodded, "Thank you, Hikaru."

As he watched the girl leave, Hikaru pulled out his phone, dialing his brother's number. After a few rings, he was sent to voicemail, not uncommon for his brother to do while at work. A few seconds later, the phone beeped and told him to leave a message, "Hey, it's Hikaru. We've got a very big problem. Call me when you get this, okay? Haruhi's in trouble."

Hitomi drove from the Hitachin estate, feeling quite extatic. At last, she knew, or was ninety-nine percent sure, that Kyoya Ootori was her father. It seemed a miricle, and one she would have to keep to herself. Just as she was beginning to think about the reprocussions of this new information, her phone rang. She fished it out of her purse and outwardly groaned when she saw that it was her mother. Hitomi rolled her car windows up and turned her radio off. "Hello?" She whispered into the reciever, "Class is about to start-" "Where are you?" Haruhi asked, a crack in her voice. "What do you mean, I'm at the school-" "Your attendance record says that you are not, young lady. Now where are you." Haruhi's tone of voice made Hitomi nurvous. There were very few times in her life that her mother had caught her lying, and the punishment was never worth the lie. Hitomi groaned again before fessing up, "I visited the Hitachins before going to school, and I lost track of time. I'm almost to Lobelia right now, honestly." Haruhi sighed, "Just...get home. We have some thnings to talk about." "What about school?" Hitomi merged into the left lane to take her towards their apartment rather than taking the right towards her school, "Hitomi, I love you, but for gods sake, just get home. We'll discuss everything else when you get here." With that, Haruhi's line went dead. Hitomi gripped the stearing wheel tightly, unsure about what to think of her mother's call.

Within five minutes, Hitomi was walking into their apartment. She stopped mid-step at the sight of her mother, red faced and blochy, sitting across from a dark-haired man. Both held a steaming cup of tea, but Hitomi could tell that her mother's hadn't been touched, "Mom? What's going on?" she asked gingerly, walking towards her mother. Haruhi choked out a sob, but contained it for the sake of her child. She knew this day would probably come, and prepared herself time and time again for a situation quite close to this one. She never imagined it would be this painful. "Hitomi, sit down." She whispered, barely able to look at anything other than her undrunk cup of tea. Hitomi did as she was told, "What is it-" Her eyes scanned over to the stranger, causing her entire body to freeze. It's impossible. There was no way that he would have found out so quickly. "No." Hitomi said sternly, "No. Whatever you're doing here, leave." Kyoya Ootori set down his half-empty cup and folded his hands, "Is that any way to greet a guest? I was sure Haruhi would have taught you better." "You-" Hitomi stopped, looking between the two adults, "You're here to take me away, aren't you?" Haruhi clenched her cup tightly, "You know, then? It's true?" Hitomi struggled to find an explaination, but instead settled for the truth, "yes, I know." A tear tread down Haruhi's cheek. "Hitomi, I know you are young and don't understand the full implications of our contract, but through you knowing who I am...We have no choice. It's too late." Hitomi squeezed her fingers, "So that's it, then? I'm just going to pack my things and never look back?" "Well, to a certain extent, yes." Kyoya said smoothly, ignoring Haruhi's cries of pain. She felt like her soul was being ripped out of her chest. Hitomi shook her head, "No. I'm not going to go-" "You have to..." Haruhi managed, "You have to go with him. He can offer you a better life in some ways-" "No!" Hitomi burst, "I can't just leave you!" Kyoya stood in one swift movement, "You made that decision when you pressed the matter with Hikaru this morining. I have eyes and ears everywhere, Hitomi. I know you have been looking for me. Well, here I am." Hitomi seethed with anger, "You can't make me go. What are you going to do? Drag me? Then what? Tie me to a chair until I grow old and die? This is ridiculous-" "Hitomi." Haruhi said, trying to hold everything together, "Listen to me. You must go with him. For me. Please. There is no other choice, but know that I have spent the last sixteen years by your side, and I'll never leave. Even if I'm not physically there, I'll be with you. Always." Haruhi reached out and touched Hitomi's hand gently, "It will be okay. Isn't that what you told me last night? Kyoya is a good man who loves you, despite his hard outer shell," Kyoya shuffled awkwardly, but Haruhi ignored it, "He's going to do the best he can. Give him some slack, because he's not as practiced as I am, but don't loose trust or faith in him. He is the father you've always wanted, and you will always have a mother, even if we-" Haruhi choked back another sob, "Even if we don't see eachother for a long time. Okay? You have to trust me, Hitomi." Hitomi blinked away tears, "I do. But-" "I love you." "I love you too. But-" "Hitomi." Haruhi begged, "Let's just leave it at that...I don't want to remember you sad forever. I'm going to go and let you pack...I love you." Hitomi sat in shock as she watched her mother walk through the front doors and out of her life.

Kyoya watched Hitomi carefully after Haruhi left. The girl seemed almost comatose. Shehad a blank expression on her face that he had never seen on any of his patients before. She was pale and shaking; it was quite apparent the poor girl was traumatized...his girl was traumatized. While a part of him wanted to rush over and touch Hitomi; To comfort his child, Kyoya knew that in this state, Hitomi was likely to turn volitile. He didn't blame her for being angry or hurt or betrayed; It was quite reasonable for her to feel so. What Haruhi and he had done would scar Hitomi for life, and they knew that when they signed the contract of keeping her liniage secret. The pain he saw on Hitomi's face was worse than he could have ever imagined seeing. After a few minutes of silence, Kyoya finally spoke, "Hitomi?" She didn't respond. Instead, she stared at her hands and began picking at hr nails. Tears had stopped flowing, but Kyoya could see that she was fighting to keep it that way. "Hitomi, my name is Kyoya Ootori, which I'm sure you've already realized. I am your father. I'm sure your mother has given you an explaination to why we did what we did, and I believe it is only appropriate that you know my side of the story." Hitomi nodded, bitting her lip to keep from crying. Kyoya felt relieved that he had some sort physical sighn that she was listening, "Your mother and I developed romantic feelings for eacother the summer before her sophmore year at Ouran. Over the next four years, those feelings developed and led to us dating behind my family's back. The only people who knew of our relationship were the Host Club's members, whom you already know about." Kyoya sighed, "I loved your mother. I truly did...well, I suppose I still do. Which is why I was extatic when she told me that she was pregant. With you." Hitomi stiffened, "I adored the idea of being a father, and I loved the small being growing inside Haruhi. The happiness of her conception didn't last for more than a few weeks when the boys began asking questions on what was going to happen after the child was born. Honestly, I hadn't made a plan for after your birth; I wanted to do something I had never done before: Enjoy the moment. And within seconds, our world seemed to crumble from beneath us." Kyoya paused to let Hitomi take in the information. After a few seconds, he continued, "My father owns the largest coorporation of hospitals in Japan, and his oldest son is the heir to that coorperation; However, neither him nor my middle brother had produced an heir. You see, we are quite a bit apart in age, and they had been married for years before you came around. It seemed as if they would not produce an offspring, and to this day still have not, which meant that the entire company would one day have to fall on you." Hitomi sniffled and wiped her nose on the back of her sleeve, "Then why not keep me in your life; Why did you have to send us away?" Kyoya sat and took off his glasses. His head was beginning to pound because of the large ammount of emotional stimuli. He rubbed the bridge of his nose before beginning the explaination, "It was never wholy my decision. Your mother had just as much say in it as I did. I understand that you side with her, and I am the bad guy, but you must also understand that I love you just as much as she does. But to answer your question properly, you are an illigitimate child. Haruhi and I were not married, and though we often spoke of doing so against my father's wishes, she understood that for both of us to follow our dreams in life, we had to remain unmarried. I am often judged by my appearances and moral standing, and to have known that I produced an illigitimate child would have ruined my reputation, which would be disasterous in the future. Haruhi understood this. Conversly, Haruhi wanted to become a lawyer. If she were in the attention of the press on my behalf and labled such a scandelous woman, you could see the effects it might have on her future as well. So, we were left with three options. One: I would marry Haruhi and be exiled from my family. This was my personal favorite, however your mother repeatldly pushed that it was unfair to me to be banished from my side of the family forever. For you and her, it would have been a worthy sacrifice, but this decision could not be made based soley one party or the other. The second option was for me to raise you as the heir; However, this would force Haruhi to never be a part of her life. She understood and accepted this as a viable option. My father found out about your conception as soon as your mother began showing. He had always had his sispicions, but when it became apparent that she was pregnant, he stepped into the situation. He refused to accept you into the family, which led to our third, and most obvious option: Haruhi was to raise you." The two sat in silence before Hitomi spoke in a shaken voice, "Then, why are you taking me away? When did that become part of this decision?" Kyoya replaced his glasses, "It came out of fear of never having a next-generation heir; My father was worried that the company would be left to someone not of his blood. He is a proud man and will try to keep the company in his bloodline for as long as possible in fear of corruption, and, in his mind, an illigitimate child could have their past changed and assume the right as heir if another was never born. He left a loophole in the contract, stating that if you ever found out about me, you would be forced to live and become an Ootori." Hitomi clenced her teeth as Kyoya spoke, "My father is not a stupid man; He has studdied in various factors of medicine. Psycologically, a young person's curiosity will be stronger than their ability to thouroghly concidire their actions; It's part of the reason teenagers do unintelligent things. He knew that you would come looking for me because no child wants to be fatherless. And so you have. Haruhi and I knew this day would come from the beginning..." He trailed off as his daughter wiped away a new wave of tears, helpless and unsure of what to do to comfort her, "Hitomi, I know this is a big change for you," He began, "But you'll find that some day soon you'll enjoy being a part of a new household. "Why can't I see her again? Can't we have some sort of visitation?" Kyoya sighed, "I wish we could. If she were seen at the main house, people would question who she is and search into her history, finding that we were close friends and that we stopped seeing eachother after she became pregnant. They would be able to peice together what happened between us. Calls, video-chatting, and letters are permitted, but physical altercations are not acceptable. If I could change anything about this contract, it would be allowing you and Haruhi to physically see eachother, but this is something your mother and I were forced to agree to. My father is a very powerful man, and angering him coud have only led to a fate worse than this"

There was an awkward silence before Kyoya spoke again, "Hitomi, it's time to pack your things. Do you want to do it or shall I send for someone?" Hitomi chewed her lip and thought about her situation. This is everything she'd ever dreamed of happening, yet it cost her mother in the process. "Hitomi?" She shook away her thoughts and brought her attention to Kyoya, "I'll pack. I'm assuming I'm supposed to take only the essentials and sentimental items?" Kyoya nodded, not liking the look Hitomi had on her face, "We will leave as soon as you've finished. I will send someone to collect your remaining items." Hitomi stood and slowly made her way towards her bedroom. "Hitomi?" Kyoya's voice stopped her for a moment. She turned and looked into his solemn eyes, "I know. You're sorry, but there's nothing you can do about it." Before Kyoya could respond, Hitomi had already closed the bedroom door behind her.


	2. Chapter 2

p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"The ride to the Ootori Estate was long and dull. It was an hour into the trip before either of them spoke. "What is going to happen now?" Hitomi asked, playing with her nails, which were ruined by consistant picking. Kyoya noted the nurvous habit and added it to the list of issued he would have to talk to a psycologist about; He knew little about parenting, but he could certainly diagnose and fix any medical issue, physical or mental. "Since no one in my family knows about you, other than my father, we will meet with him to discuss how this situation should be handeled. I presume that we will be sent to a private location for a few weeks before introducing you as my daughter to the Ootori house, and inevitably the world." Hitomi watched Kyoya silently, analyzing his physical features. She could definatly tell they had the same sharp chin, and their noses were quite similar. Even his stature, which was slim but long, matched hers; She had always wondered where she had gotten such long legs-to-torso ratios. "Why would we leave for a few weeks?" She asked curiously. A few days she could understand, but weeks? That was a long time! Kyoya adjusted his glasses again, a notion that Hitomi was sure was a nurvous tick, "I, as well as a few close others, will teach you everything you need to know about being at the uppermost peak of high-class. You will learn various things that will teach you how to act like a noble." Hitomi pulled at her nails again, "Including not picking at your nails when you are upset. That's something we will have to work on." Hitomi stopped mid-pick and let her hands fall to her lap. She muttered an appology before staring out the window. Just ahead of them, she could see a large iron gate, seperating the road halfway to an extreamly large, modern mansion./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;""You live here?" Hitomi asked in awe. Kyoya watched the girl's smile brighten in wonder as they neared the estate, "Yes. And you will, too. One day, you'll run all of this, and more." Hitomi's heart skipped a beat; The news of her liniage had not quite settled into her brain, but to hear that she would own this estate seemed compleatly ludicris. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"The courtyard itself was large and lavish with beautiful flowers, shaped hedges, and a waterfountain surrounded by sitting benches that were way too lavish to have people sit on them. As they approached the mansion, Hitomi's eyes widened with awe at the tall pillars and ornate cornaces adorning the home. It seemed too big for one man to live in, even with his new guest- or daughter as it were. The limosine stopped in front of a pair of large arching steps. A moment later, a man in a suit and gloves opened the door. Kyoya exited first, "This, Hitomi, is the head butler, Kahn. He and his staff will help you in any way possible." Hitomi took Kahn's outstreatched hand and exited the vehicle, still in a state of shock. "Hello, Miss Hitomi. If I may, you will be a bright light in these halls." Hitomi blushed, but muttered a short thanks before following Kyoya, who was already assending the stairs of the mansion. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"The grand foryer was just that. Grand. And huge! If Hitomi were not staring at the floor, she would have noticed how extravagant it was. "Your bedroom is upstairs and to the left," Kyoya said calmly, "I will show it to you. The staff will bring your things up for you." And with that, Kyoya became silent again. How frustrating it was to have awkward silence between the two. If they were going to live together, that would have to change. They climbed another flight of stairs as Kyoya led her to her bedroom. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"Hitomi walked around her new room, examining the beauty of it. "You can decorate it however you like, but please keep it tasteful." Kyoya said, watching the girl. Hitomi nodded, "Thank you, but I don't think that will be nessesary. It's beautiful the way it is." Kyoya nodded, "Yes, our designers did a good job. However, this is your room and it should be created to your liking. I know you probably don't understand the perks of being an Ootori, but being able to decorate your room however you like is one of them." Hitomi was about to protest, but Kyoya cut her off, "We will be living here for a long time, and you deserve your personal room. Think of it as a welcome home gift from me." Hitomi did not want to be rude and debate him over it being too much, so she kindly accepted it, "Thank you, sir. I appreciate the gesture." Kyoya nodded, "It is nothing at all. Dinner will be served in an hour in the informal dining room. If you have any trouble finding it, one of the maids will be happy to assist you." Hitomi half-smiled, "You might as well give me a map." Kyoya's mouth curved up, "That can be arranged as well. But you will know the estate in time." He picked up a remote laying on the bedside table, "This is the remote controls the telivision," He nodded towards the wall opposite the bed that Hitomi hadn't noticed before, "It also can page a maid for you if you need anything," He pointed to a green button. The next one he pointed to was a black one, "This button is probably the most important on the remote. In the event of danger or an accident, press this button. It will call my special police, who can surround this room in a matter of seconds. Be careful and don't press this unless it is a real emergency." He set the remote down and glanced at his watch, "If there is nothing more, I'll let you settle in. If you need me, I'll be in the study working on a few things." Hitomi nodded before turning her attention back to the room. Some of her personal items had already been set out; Kyoya's movers must have worked fast to clean out her room; A picture of Haruhi and her was placed on the bedside table; her computer was laying on the desk; her favorite potted flower was sitting on the window sill enjoying the rays of sun...Hitomi choked back tears as she gazed around the room; It didn't feel like home anymore. She sat on the plush bed before waves of sobbs overtook her. They shook her body as she cried into the clean, white comforter, forming dark puddles with her tears. Muscles tensed until they hurt. Her body went on auto-piolet to protect itsself from all the mayhem that had been thrown her way in the past twenty-four hours. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"She didn't know how long she had laid there in a puddle of tears, but before long, a maid knocked gently on her door, "Miss? Mr. Ootori sent me to check on you." Hitomi sniffled and sat up on the bed feeling sticky and quite discusting. The knock came again, "Miss? Are you alright?" Hitomi tried to say yes, that she was fine, but it came out a muddled croak of mucous-logged vocal cords. The sencond time, she cleared her throat, "Yes, I'm fine." "May I come in?" The maid asked. Hitomi wiped her face on her sleeves and flattened her hair. She hoped she didn't look as aweful as she felt, "Yes." The door opened quietly, revealing a woman in her mid-thirties. She smiled at Hitomi, "Miss, I would like to introduce myself. I am Riku Shion, and I am your personal maid." Her smile softened when she analyzed Hitomi's blotchy, red face, "Oh, dear. Dinner will be in twenty minutes. Would you like me to help you clean up a bit?" Hitomi shook her head, mentally thanking the woman for not blatingly stating her horrible after-cry status, "No, I'll be fine." Riku smiled and nodded, "Of course. If you change your mind, don't hesitate to call. I am here for any need or request you might have." Hitomi nodded and the woman left, closing the door behind her./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"The informal dining room was simple enough to find after asking two maids and making a few wrong turns. It seemed unimaginable that anyone could own a house so big. Who could possibly need so many rooms?! Finally, she arrived five minutes late to dinner. Kyoya was seated at a small table, hands clasped and his gaze daggering the wall across from him as if he were deep in thought. Hitomi hurried to the only empty chair, assuming it was her seat, "I appologize for being late. I took a wrong turn or two." Kyoya calmly waved it off, "It is no problem. I expected you would get lost your first time. Tomorrow might very well be the same." A server entered the room with two plates of steaming food, "I believe lasagna is your favorite food, is it not?" Kyoya asked as the server set the plates down and quietly left the room. If it wasn't for the deliciousl smell of italian food in the air, Hitomi might have sworn he was never in the room at all, "Yes, sir." Kyoya sipped a glass of water before beginning to eat. Hitomi waited a few moments before taking the first bite. It was delicious! Her tastebuds were certainly dancing on cloud nine!/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;""There are a few ground rules I believe we should discuss," Kyoya said, placing his fork down. Hitomi did the same. "Firstly, you have no need to call me 'sir' in the comfort of our own home. Yes, it is polite, and during social events would be expected of you to do so. However, it is not necessary here. In that case, you may call me Kyoya if you wish, though I do hope that eventually you can call me 'father'." Hitomi nodded. Kyoya continued, "Secondly, your studies will begin tomorrow. As my father stated, I will be your teacher until you are able to attend Ouran. I take education extremely seriously and expect improvement from last year's commitment to knowledge." Hitomi blushed as she recalled her near-failing report card. Her mother hadn't particularly minded because Hitomi was extremely involved in after school activities, and did try to keep up with her studies. As long as her grades weren't horrible, Haruhi allowed Hitomi to have the freedom and responsibility of dictating her grades; She figured after last year, Hitomi would learn to better manage her time. "Also, you will have a variety of other subjects to study, such as family history and acceptable social behavior." Hitomi continued to nod, though she was confused about why these would be considered 'subjects' to study; Couldn't these be things to talk about over dinner? "Furthermore, those subjects will be taught by some personal friens, some of which you have already met and all whom you know the names of; I believe you may have the five names of those you thought where your biological father memorized by this point." Hitomi nodded again. "Once you have mastered the basics of speaking and acting in public as well as the basic history of our family and company, amongst a few other things, we will have a sort of coming out party where we will introduce you as my daughter." Hitomi nodded again, sure that she looked very much like a bobble-head at this point, "Our story will be that you were living with your great aunt in America and moved back to learn about the company. We will delve deeper into how to answer the press's deeper questions at a later date." /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"Hitomi just nodded, unsure about how the hell she was going to live as a princess when she had always been a pauper./span/p 


End file.
